From Rebel to Reck
by Dani Aly
Summary: Everyone knows about the 74th Annual Hunger Games, but what about the first? This story follows young Valiant Rolin, District 9's first ever tribute. A lot of the characters in this are OCs. The Hunger Games is not mine. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

"Valiant!" an old lady called my name. She sounded like a crow. Why she always calls my name, I will never know. I don't even know her. The dirt path that I always walk out to the fields of grain after school always leads me to run into her. As always, I walk past her, completely ignoring her calls. She never runs out to the street to meet me. She just calls from her porch.  
I walk all the way out to the fields. A man in his early forties was at the edge of the field. His long black hair pulled back into a ponytail that flowed down his back. He turned his face towards me, acknowledging that I was there. "Looking for someone?" he asked me.  
"I'm looking for Rodney or Dimitri Rolin," I said. He pointed down a row of grain to his left.  
"Rodney's down that way. Watch your feet, kid." I nod in thanks to him and run down the row. It wasn't long before I reached him. My father's short brown hair shown in the sunlight. His tan skin glistened from sweat of a hard day's work. He obviously heard me coming, for his brown eyes were already watching me. I stopped a couple feet of where he was working.  
"How was school today?" he asked, smiling at me.  
"It was okay. We talked about harvest times today," I replied.  
"Good. Would you like to put what you've been learning into practice?" My father handed me a spool of rope to gather and tie the grain. I quickly grabbed the spool out of his hands and started grabbing up the grain stalks off the ground.  
Within an hour, I had gathered enough grain to tie up and take back to a peacekeeper truck. I threw my bunch into the truck and started walking back when I noticed an older man struggling to tie his bunch. I quickly ran over to him and tied the bunch up for him.  
"Thank you," he said. I looked at him and noticed his dim brown eyes were tired. Many wrinkles on his faced showed many years of wisdom. The scars on his hands showed years of work. "How did you learn to tied such tight, quick knots?" He examined my work.  
"My father taught me. It sort of became my hobby," I replied. "Would you like help getting this into the truck?" The man nodded at my offer. The two of us carried his bunch over to the truck and threw it in. A boy a little older than me with curly, dark brown hair jogged over to us. He was very tall, about 6 foot, and slightly muscular. The boy looked familiar to me. I probably have seen him around the square. I just couldn't place where.  
"Grandfather, are you ready to go?" he asked.  
"One second," the old man replied. He turned his attention towards me. "What's your name, sweetie?"  
"Valiant Rolin," I replied. I held my hand out towards him. He stuck his hand in mine and shook it.  
"Mathius Corr." He, then, motioned towards the boy. "This is my grandson, Jeremy." Jeremy reached his hand towards mine. We shook hands.  
"Nice to meet you, Valiant," Jeremy said.  
"Nice to meet you, too," I said back.  
"Grandfather, we need to go now."  
"Yes, of course. Well it was nice meeting you, Valiant. Thank you again for your help," Mathius said. The two walked off, leaving me there. A peacekeeper in his clean white uniform walked up to me.  
"You must go to the square for a Capital announcement," the peacekeeper ordered. At first, I wanted to tell the man no, but that would just start an outrage that will ultimately lead to my death, so I just do what he says. I walk to the square with the rest of the field workers, not seeing my dad or my brother anywhere. I find one of the shop porches to stand on. Everyone crowded into the square, trying to find their family members, waiting for the bad news the Capital is sure to announce. My hands start to fumble around in my pocket for a string to tie in knots.  
"Nervous?" I hear a familiar voice say. I turn to find my brother, Dimitri, behind me. He places his strong, rough hands on my shoulders.  
"Attention!" the squeaky voice of our District 9 mayor yelled over the speaker system. The nervous chatter of the crowds stopped, cresting an eerie silence that always seems to be at these events. "Welcome! Now, an announcement from our wonderful leader, President Morrow."  
The video screen came to life as the Capital anthem played. The face of the black haired, weasel-looking President Morrow was larger than life on the screen. "Good," I thought. "His face now matches his ego."  
"Citizens of Panem," he began. "We have a great new celebration of the Capital's victory coming. Yet, we need your help. All children between the ages of twelve and eighteen must register at your district Justice Building. All who do not register will be severely punished. Have a wonderful day." And like that, the message was sent. The screen went dark after the anthem was finished playing. The people bustled with chatter. Children started to move towards the Justice Building. I jump off the porch and start walking towards the building as well.  
"Where are you going?" my brother called after me. I turn back to face him.  
"I have to register. I don't want to cause any more trouble than we're already in." I called back. I ran off into the crowd, thinking that something must be behind this. There is a reason they are making us do this, I just haven't figured it out yet. Not yet... 


	2. Chapter 2

I have never seen the Justice Building so busy. Kids are split into genders. Peacekeepers are everywhere, making sure that every child gets registered with Panem. The younger kids looked terrified. The kids my age chatted nervously about what the Capital might be planning.  
I stood in line quietly, rolling idea after idea through my mind of what might happen to us. A line of boys that looked roughly around my age were next to me. I scanned face after face to see who I could name from school, trying to keep myself from stressing over the Capital's plans. That's when I saw him. The boy from earlier. Jeremy stood one person up and to my left. He was obviously trying to do the same thing because he found me looking at him and smiled.  
"Nervous?" he asked me curiously. I nodded my head. "Me too. I know that the Capital is up to no good. I just haven't figured out what they want with us yet."  
"Dido," I agreed. Truth is, I'm not nervous about what the Capital is going to do to us. I'm nervous about what the peacekeepers might do to me when I tell them my name. My father was too well known throughout the rebellion for the Capitol to not know his name, or mine for that matter. After all, my father did join the rebellion because my oldest brother died from the tracker jackers. After that event, my whole family has never cared for the Capital. I'm sure whatever they're planning now will make matters worse.  
"Next!" a peacekeeper barked at me. I quickly moved to the table. A book was open, obviously holding records of the kids in line before me. My eyes quickly noticed the needle another peacekeeper was holding. "Name?"  
"What's the needle for?" I asked, completely ignoring the question.  
"Name!" I was obviously making him mad by asking questions.  
"Valiant Rolin." I was bracing myself to get swarmed by peacekeepers. Nothing happened. A quick sigh of relief escaped before a surge of pain shot up my left arm. I look at it to see the other peacekeeper had shoved the needle into my arm and was now stealing blood from my body. I gritted my teeth, trying to refrain from yelling curses. After a few seconds, I felt the needle get pulled out. The peacekeeper pulled the needle off of the vile and poured my blood into some machine. My name popped up on the screen of the machine. A man with a camera stood before me. I looked up long enough to get blinded by the camera.  
The wait was a few minutes before I got my citizenship card. It had my district, name, occupation, and birth date on it. The peacekeeper had handed me the card and a white envelope before I was allowed to leave. I turned the envelope over and over in my hand, constantly tempted to rip it open right there. I decided to wait until I got home to open it and see it's contents.  
When I made it home, I found my brother waiting for me on the front porch. He stood out of an old chair that my father had made when I was little and acted like I had been gone for a century.  
"What took you so long?" Dimitri questioned me. I stepped onto the porch.  
"Well, I'm not the only kid in District 9, Dimitri. There was going to be a little wait time," I said matter-of-factually. My brother scowled when I did this. He always did when I acted smart. I walked past him into the house. I sat down on the ratty old sofa we had and carefully opened the envelope to find a letter. I could feel my brother watching me as my eyes started taking in the words. The letter read:

"Congratulations new citizen of Panem! You are now entered into a drawing to become a tribute for your home district to be a part of The Hunger Games. If chosen, you will be taken to the Capital to train for the games. Once the training is complete, you will be taken to the arena where there is only one rule: stay alive. You will be fighting to the death. The last tribute standing wins. The drawing will take place on June 17th for one male and one female tribute. May the odds be ever in your favor!" I knew my face was showing a mixture of outrage, shock, and sadness. I quickly crumbled up the paper and threw it into the fireplace. I rushed to find the matches. Once I found them, I ran to the fireplace and started the fire, watching the letter burn. My brother looked at me as if I were crazy.  
"What did it say?" Dimitri spoke up. "Did it say anything about why you had to get a citizen card?" I nodded my head, afraid to tell him what I just found out. "Tell me what it said." I shook my head as tears rolled down my cheeks. My mind raced about all of the pain both my father and brother had been through after the death of my oldest brother. I imagined myself being drawn to be tribute, on my birthday of all things. My father weeping. My brother clawing at the peacekeepers that are bound to be there, trying to get me away from their clutches, ending up getting himself killed. I felt my brother grip my shoulders, shaking me out of my trance. "Valiant, if it's bad, just tell me!"  
"It's a death match!" I screamed at him. "They made us kids sign up for a card because they're going to kill us!"  
"That doesn't make sense."  
"They're going to choose a boy and a girl to go to the Capital, get trained to fight each other, then send them off to an arena to kill each other until one person is left!" It was then that Dimitri let me go. He plopped down on the sofa, gripping his head. "You can't be serious. They can't do this."  
"Obviously, they can." I watched Dimitri chew on the words I had just screamed at him. I couldn't take it. It was bad enough that my oldest brother had to die, now I was practically sentenced to death as well. I couldn't take it. I ran out of the house, not sure of which way to run. All I knew was that I had to run. Somewhere. Anywhere.  
I ran off into the distance, running as fast as I could. From what, I'm not sure. All I knew was that I had to run as far as I could. I ran past the fields and district houses. All I could think about was the letter and what this will put my family through.  
I soon felt my legs collapse from under me. My heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest. Tears streaked my face. I must have ran out into a middle of a field because I see nothing but grain. The words of the letter swirled around in my head. The most taunting ones were "May the odds be ever in your favor." "Ya, sure they will be," I thought. "They have never been in my favor before." I heard footsteps coming rapidly towards me, but I didn't care.  
"You read the letter, too?" a voice asked me. I looked through my puffy eyes to see a blotchy faced Jeremy stand over me. I nodded as he sat down on the ground next to me. He looked as if he had gone through the same amount of emotional distress as I did.  
"Why are they doing this to us?" I asked quietly. I couldn't get my voice out of a whisper if I tried. It just wasn't willing to come out. Jeremy shrugged.  
"They're trying to punish the adults that were a part of the rebellion. They take us kids and there will be nothing they can do about it." He ran his hand through his curly hair. Tears still ran down my face. I have never felt more vulnerable in my life. Here I was, crying in front of a boy I had just met. I hung my head in shame. The words he said hit home.  
"It's not only punishment for the adults, but those our age that were involved in it too," I managed to say. Jeremy looked at me with raised eyebrows.  
"What are you talking about?"  
"Not only were adults involved, but kids as well. I should know, I was one of them." I didn't even bother to think that a peacekeeper could have heard that, but at this point, I couldn't care.  
"That's impossible."  
"It's true. After my oldest brother died from those hideous tracker jackers, my dad joined the rebellion. Dimitri joined and it wasn't long before I started helping him help the rebellion." I sat in the fields with Jeremy for what felt like an eternity, trying to explain my childhood. Trying to explain how my mother died when I was born. About how when my family was just about put itself back together, my brother got stung by the tracker jackers while helping my father in the fields. My father was a wreck after my brother died. After my father realized exactly what had happened, he joined the rebellion. Dimitri soon followed after him, getting used as a scouter. I started helping him by hiding in trees as the Capital troops walked by, hearing their conversations, then reporting to Dimitri of my finds. He would find the information that was important and take it to his commander.  
After dumping my whole life story on him, Jeremy sat silent. He stared at the ground, not even looking at me. After a few moments, he looked up. He looked me in the eye. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."  
"And no one should. After the Capital announced that the war was over, my father decided to hide anything that linked us to the rebellion."  
"I promise, I won't tell." We sat for a few moments, just staring at the sky.  
"What would you do in my position? Would you tell your dad?"  
"I wouldn't tell him till I knew that I was going." I nodded my head. Probably what I should do, too. The last thing that my father needs is to worry about me going to my death.  
The two of us stood and walked back into town. I walked back to the house, knowing now what I was going to do. I walked into the house and told my distressed brother about what I have decided. He agreed to not tell him. He agreed to let me be the one to say it if the time came. If the odds were in my favor, I won't have to go. 


	3. Chapter 3

Today's the day. The day of the Reaping, as everyone called it. Ever since the day that the announcement of this day came, every kid has been worried sick. Those of us who worked in the fields worked harder than ever, either trying to burn off stress or to get stronger so they have a chance of survival. Half of the adults had no idea why we were doing this.  
After my breakdown and my talk with Jeremy, the two of us have been working together, running and working in the fields, now making sure that we can make it through. Throughout the time that we had, the two of us became friends. We would talk to some other kids at school, finding that a lot of the kids our age didn't tell their parents about the events that were to take place. I had woken up with the sunrise like I have been doing for months now. I jogged down the dirt street out to the fields, going to meet Jeremy one last time before the Reaping began. I was almost to the fields when I heard a voice almost like a crow's calling my name.  
"Valiant!" it screeched. I looked around to find the same old lady that had always called my name when I passed by. For some reason, I stopped. I normally would just keep going, but something was nagging at me to go talk to her. I walked over to her, not sure what I would say when I got there. When I made it to her porch, the words that I've been meaning to ask for years finally came out.  
"How do you know my name?" I asked. The lady sat in her rocking chair and gave a toothy grin. Her white hair was pulled up into a bun. Her shriveled hands clasped together with her elbows on the armrests.  
"I knew your mother very well. She told me your name before she passed away." The lady sounded kinder, almost having a soothing quality to her voice when she wasn't yelling. "Now that I see you up close, you look a lot like her." I have always noticed that I have never looked like my father or brothers. My hair was wavy blonde. I had freckles that streaked across my nose and cheeks. I had dark green eyes instead of the brown that my dad and brothers had. Now I know where I get it from.  
"Why did you always call me?"  
"Why did you never come so I could tell you?" She had a point. I always thought she was crazy, but everyone has a reason for calling someone's name. "I have something that your mother gave me when she was your age. I thought you would like to have it." The lady reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a piece of braided, colored rope. It was brown and green and somewhat faded. A clasp on the end made me believe that it was a piece of jewelry.  
"What is it?" I asked, not entirely sure what it's suppose to be. The lady motioned for me to come closer. I took a couple of steps forward. She reached out and pushed on my shoulders, making me go to my knees. She put the rope around my neck and clasped it in the back. The rope was half way up her neck and staid there when the lady let go. I put my hand up to touch the braided band.  
"It looks perfect. It was like it was meant for you." I smiled in gratitude. Finally, something of my mother's that I now have. I looked at the lady in her soft gray eyes.  
"What's your name?" I finally decided to ask.  
"Elise More," she replied.  
"Well, thank you, Elise." I looked out to the fields, remembering that I have Jeremy waiting for me to show up. "I have to go. I promise that I will come to see you again."  
"If you survive, my dear. If you survive." I raised my eyebrows in suspicion. I quickly shook it off and ran off her porch, waving goodbye. I ran past the fields, not finding Jeremy anywhere. I quickly assumed that he went back home to get ready for the Reaping and started to run back home.  
"What took you so long?" a voice called out to me. I turned back to see Jeremy standing behind some grain stocks. I quickly felt his eyes staring at the necklace. "What's that?"  
"This lady who knew my mother gave it to me. She said my mother made it," I said, touching it.  
"Well, since you took so long to get here, we need to get back so we can..." he quickly changed his accent to mock the Capital's. "Look presentable to be chosen for the greatest honor in our lives." I chuckled at his comment and quickly turned back to run.  
The one line that has stuck in my head since the letter quickly popped out of my mouth. "May the odds be ever in your favor." The two of us quickly parted to get home.  
When I made it back home, I quickly went to take a bath. I knew I would have to leave soon, so I was very fast. I quickly patted down my hair and body with a towel. I grabbed some clothes that I thought would work for the occasion and threw them on. Just as I was about to pull my hair up, my brother walked into my room.  
"Leave it down. It looks prettier," he said. He was holding a white box. For what, I was not really sure. I turned to face him. He looked at my outfit and shook his head. "You're really going to the Reaping looking like that?" I looked down at myself. Faded blue skirt, white shirt with a stain on it, and a pair of brown sneakers.  
"It's the best that I have," I mumbled to myself. Dimitri opened the box to reveal a tan dress and bright green flats.  
"Not anymore." He pulled the dress and shoes out of the box and laid them on my bed. "Go on, try it on." He left the room, leaving me with new clothes that I new cost money that we couldn't have. A note was laying on top of the dress. I quickly unfolded the paper and read it. It said:  
"Valiant,  
We believe that you should look your best on your 17th birthday. We saved enough money to buy you the best that we could. We love you!  
Dad and Dimitri"  
I couldn't help but smile. I knew that Dimitri knew what kind of stress I would be in today, with the Reaping and all. He probably was the one who came up with the idea. I quickly put on my new dress, which I found that it flares out when you spin. My new shoes were not only pretty, but they were also comfortable. The two together matched my necklace that Elise gave me. I walked out of the room to show my father and brother my outfit. Dimitri had a smile from ear to ear at the sight of me. My father had tears welling up in his eyes. I twirled around, the first time I have ever felt girly enough to do so. "You look beautiful," my father choked. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck.  
"Thank you," I said to them as I released the hug. I looked at the old, cracked clock on the wall. It was time for me to leave to go sign in. I kissed my father on his forehead and gave my brother a hug before rushing out the door and into the street.  
The street was scattered with children heading to the square. I followed three boys to the sign in tables. The peacekeepers were there, directing children and taking their names. A peacekeeper directed me to a table that girls my age were lined up at. It finally came to be my turn. The peacekeeper looked at me.  
"Name?" he asked.  
"Valiant Rolin," I stated. Another peacekeeper pricked my finger and stuck the finger on the space with my name on it. He led me to a roped off section of the square specifically for those of us who were being put through this nightmare. I was told to stand in a spot next to a tall eighteen year old who looked like she could chew me up. I stood quietly as the square filled with all of the people in the district. The peacekeepers lined the ropes, showing that it was almost time to begin. A lady with bright orange hair and an outfit to match walked onto the stage. A smirk crossed my face, trying to keep from laughing at the ridiculous look of the lady that I assumed to be Capital. She walked over to the microphone, smiling the whole time.  
"Welcome!" she sang. For a woman who probably new what was going to happen to us, she seemed far too happy for my taste. The talking of the crowd stopped. "Welcome! My name is Galaria Lotis. I am so happy to be here today! Today is a very special day as two of you will be chosen to be a part of the Hunger Games. Now, the reason these games have been put in place is to show how much the Capital cares about you. Since the Dark Days, we've been thinking of a way to make it up to you. So, here it is!" I felt my stomach turn in knots. "Now, ladies first!"  
Galaria walked over to a clear glass bowl which had, what I assumed to be, the names of all the girls eligible. She snatched a piece of paper right from the top of the bowl. I watched her walk over to the microphone and unfolded the piece of paper.  
"Valiant Rolin," she announced. I felt as if my heart dropped to the floor. Nothing could have prepared me for this. A peacekeeper came through the crowd and drug me out by my wrist. Four peacekeepers escorted me to the stage and forced me up the steps. Galaria reached her long orange nails towards me and grabbed my hand. I did my best not break down in tears, although I was in too much shock to realize what was going on.  
"Now, for the boys." Galaria walked over to another bowl with the names of the boys in it. She dug her hand down to the bottom of the bowl and pulled out a slip of paper. She walked back to the microphone and opened the slip. "Jeremy Corr." I felt like I was going to throw up. I watched as a wide-eyed Jeremy walked to the stage. I could see his hands shaking. He got up on the stage and smiled, trying to look strong for the cameras. "These are your tributes!" The adults cheered, obviously not knowing what was going to take place. The kids inside the ropes raised three fingers in salute to us. They knew what was going to happen, and they knew we had a slim chance of returning home. The adults silenced their cheers to see their children salute us.  
Galaria led the two of us into the Justice Building, the doors slamming behind us... 


	4. Chapter 4

They locked me in this room that looked like a library. I was sitting on an old, ratty sofa, thinking of what I was going to be put through. I knew that I wasn't going to survive. I knew that my family would break down even worse because I would be death number three. I stared out the window at the rows of grain, thinking this is the last time I will be able to see the place that I once called home.  
I heard the door click open and turned to see my brother and father walking into the room. I quickly jumped out of my seat and wrapped my arms around my father's neck. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. Not in front of them. The last thing that I want them to remember about me is that I was upset. I released my hug to see the tear-stained face of my father.  
"You don't have to tell him anything," Dimitri said quietly. "The Capital told them everything." I sat back down on the sofa. I couldn't do this. I couldn't bare to watch my father upset. "I told him why you didn't tell him." My father sat down next to me and put his arm around me. My brother sat on the other side and took my hand. If I wasn't going off to be killed, this would have been a great moment. Suddenly, my father stood and turned to face me.  
"Listen, Valiant," he started. "You're going to make it. You know how to survive. You're a rebel. Nothing they can do can take that from you." I stood and nodded my head, realizing all of the training I had gotten from the rebellion was coming back in one giant wave. I remember how to scout, find food, get fresh water, and all of that. Truthfully, the only thing I really have to worry about is finding a weapon I can use.  
The door swung open with peacekeepers yelling at my father and brother to go. I quickly gave both of them a hug. My brother leaned in close to me and whispered, "Come back home." I nodded my head and the two left. I was once again, alone. I walked over to the window to watch as the stage was getting torn down and the ropes started to disappear. I heard the door click open, but didn't turn to it.  
"Well, aren't you going to greet your guest?" the voice was soothing. I knew that voice. I turned to see Elise standing by the door. Before I realized it, I was running to her arms and sobbing. Elise stroked my hair and hummed. We sat down on the sofa and she coaxed me into stopping the tears. She held both of my hands in hers. "I've watched you train for this day. Running back and forth from the fields and such. You're quite the runner. But I'm not here to tell you to win." This shocked me. I thought that she would have wanted me to come back. "I'm here right now to tell you not to forget who you are. You forget yourself, it won't matter if you win or not. The Capital will have already done their job." Her words sunk in. She was right. I didn't dare talk in fear of crying again, but I nodded my head in agreement. Elise quickly stood on her feet and turned to the door. "Make District 9 proud to have you as a tribute." She opened the door and left me alone once more.  
Galaria came to fetch me. Together with Jeremy, we walked out of the building into a car. It was the first time I have ever rode in one, and probably the only time I will. The car drove us to the train station. Cameras were everywhere. The minute we exited the car, flashes started going off. I thought I would be blind if we wouldn't have gotten to the train so quickly.  
"Ladies first," Jeremy said. He offered his arm to help me up. I quickly took hold of his arm and got on the train. He hopped on right behind me. The train started to roll just as we got into a train car.  
"Valiant, your room is to the left. Jeremy, yours is to the right. Clean up and I will see you in the dining car," Galaria said, sounding perky. Galaria left the car, leaving the two of us alone.  
I went into my room, shutting the door behind me. The room was much bigger than mine at home. The bed was dressed in silky white sheets. I opened the closet to find plenty of clothes to choose from. I quickly pulled out a navy blue skirt that reached to my ankles and a simple white blouse. I washed my face in the bathroom and changed into the clothes I picked out. My stomach growled but I didn't feel like eating. My stomach was still in knots from the Reaping. I peaked out the door to find Jeremy standing in the hallway.  
"Hungry?" he asked me. I shook my head as I opened the door more.  
"Not really," I answered.  
"You mind coming with me to the dining car? I don't want to be stuck in the same room with that orange catastrophe by myself." I laughed at the comment and agreed to go with him. The two of us walked to the dining car. We opened the door to find Galaria sitting with a glass of purple liquid in her hand. We walked in, smelling the different foods in the car.  
"Not bad. Simple but cute," she said. I assumed she was talking about our clothes. We sat down at the table in the seats across from her. A basket of rolls sat on the table. I picked one up and started pulling at it, putting pieces in my mouth. The television was on with some guy with pink hair was talking about the Reapings. "Oh, good! They're on!"  
One by one, starting with District 1, the Reapings were being replayed. Just by the videos, I could already tell that the tributes from 1, 2, and 4 were going to be threats. The boys were huge and the girls were far bigger than me. There were two twelve year olds, one from District 3 and the other from 12, but other than them, there were nothing but eighteen year olds. If the odds of me returning home weren't bad enough, this made them much worse.  
"I'll be right back," Galaria said. She stood up and walked out, still holding her glass. Jeremy looked at me, looking about as nervous as I felt.  
"Well, the odds are not in our favor. I think we could make it if we worked really hard when we get to the Capital," he said. His optimism was shocking. He could make it if he tried, I would be lucky enough to survive in a fight with any of the tributes from 1,2,and 4. Even the boy from District 12 was threatening my chance of survival.  
Galaria came back into the room and announced that we were arriving at the Capital. Jeremy and I walked to the window and looked at the tall buildings, all colorful and shiny. They were nothing like the buildings back home. Same went for the people. They wore colorful wigs and eccentric clothes made them look like what I had pictured a circus would look like when we learned about them at school. As we rolled into the train station, camera and colorful people were everywhere.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, let the games begin," I stated in a mocking tone. Jeremy laughed, knowing that what I said was true. Galaria gave us a scolding stare but we didn't care. We knew that we would need all the good humor we could get in order to make it through this colorful sea of terror. 


	5. Chapter 5

We were taken to this place called the Remake Center. There, colorful people took us into rooms, stripped us of our clothes, and started a process that I like to call torture. They sat us on tables and proceeded to rip hair off of our arms and legs. It took everything in my power not to lash out at them. A couple of rooms down, I could here a girl scream and I couldn't blame her. I would too if it meant they would stop.  
They pulled me off the table after they made my skin sore and told me to get into this tub with this white oil like liquid in it. I eased into the tub, first cringing in pain from the sting of my raw legs hitting the water, then relaxed after the sting magically disappeared. I put my whole body in the tub, knowing it would bring relief to the pain. They made me sit in the tub for about fifteen minutes before they told me to get out.  
These people who called themselves my "prep team" put me back in the table and proceeded to cut my hair and pull hair from my eyebrows. They made comment about my hair being as soft as silk or how my eyes were as green as priceless jewels. They also made comments about how the people were going to love me. They seemed to like how I looked because they backed off and left the room. No mirrors to see the damage that these people had done to me. This was frustrating. I laid on the table, waiting for whoever decided to come into the room.  
The door opened and I found a woman with raven black hair and soft violet eyes looking back at me. She didn't make me feel uncomfortable, like the prep team did. She looked kind. I sat up, hoping that she was willing to talk to me.  
"How do you feel?" she asked, coming closer to me.  
"I feel like I've been violated," I answered. She laughed at the comment and came close enough for her to touch me. She reached out for my hair, which now reached to my mid back because of all the cutting the prep team had done. She made me stand and walked around me like a vulture circling its prey. She stopped in front of me.  
"You're a beautiful girl," she said to me.  
"Thanks," I replied. She walked over to another table in the room and picked up a big fluffy brush and dipped it in this gold powder. She walked back over to me and started brushing the powder across my face.  
"If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?"  
"Valiant." She put the brush down and picked up a smaller brush and dipped it in some bronze liquid.  
"You fit your name very well. Especially for making through this without screaming. I know it's different for you." She brushed the liquid across my eyelid and under my brow. She put the brush down and walked over to the black bag that has been hanging in the room since I got there. She took it down and brought it over to me. "We're suppose to dress you in costumes that reflect your district. I did some study on grain and decided that we should use flowing fabrics to show the flow of the fields when brushed by the wind." She unzipped the bag to reveal a shiny bronze fabric dress that looked rather short. "Don't worry. There will be fabric that goes over this." She must have seen my reaction to give this reassurance.  
"What's your name?" I finally asked as she helped me into the dress.  
"Ariya." She draped this sheer gold fabric over my shoulder and it flowed down to my ankles. As I shifted to accommodate what Ariya was trying to do to fix my dress, I noticed that it did flow like the wheat being blown by the wind. She put gold tinted sandals on my feet. Half of my hair was up in a bun. Ariya put this headpiece on my head that had beaded strands hang down to mimic wheat. I imagined that it looked very pretty, even though I couldn't see it.  
I noticed that Ariya wasn't fixing anything anymore and had walked off. She came back holding a full length mirror. She sat it up and drug me to it. I stared into my own reflection, mot even realizing it was me. I looked like myself enough. My green eyes, wavy hair, and tan skin were still visible. Yet, the makeup and clothing looked like nothing I would wear. Overall, it was very pretty. You can tell where the dress ended, yet the gold pieces of cloth draped perfectly. The headpiece flowed into my hair.  
"Well, what do you think?" Ariya asked me.  
"I like it." It was the truth, I did like it.  
"We better get you down to the square. They'll begin soon." I nodded and followed Ariya. The more I walked, the more the fabric did look like grain. It was shiny grain, but grain nonetheless.  
We made it to the line up. All the tributes from every district were lined up in order. I quickly found Jeremy with his stylist and Galaria. Jeremy tugs at his costume, almost identical to mine except he has no shirt and just a pair of pants to go with the sheer gold material draped across his shoulder. They had streaked his dark brown hair with bronze and had actual wheat in his hair. Other than gold eyeliner highlighting his eyes, he pretty much looked like himself. I walked up to him and gave a nervous smile.  
"Do you feel about as violated as I do?" he asked with a joking smile. I laughed at his question.  
"I think more," I replied. We laughed at this for a minute. He looked me up and down.  
"You look great."  
"Thanks. You too." I look around at the other tributes. Now that I see everyone in person, a lot of them look familiar. I couldn't quite place it, but I knew about five of the tributes. I heard the roar of the crowds. My stomach turned over in knots.  
"You okay? You look kind of pale." Apparently my nervousness is obvious.  
"I'm not used to vasts amounts of attention." I tried to hold down the contents of my stomach. I started twisting my dress in my fingers.  
"But you acted just fine with the cameras back home."  
"I was in shock. I'm totally okay now so I know exactly what's happening around me." Jeremy stuck his hands on my shoulders. He was a head taller than me. If I wasn't freaked out about the crowds, I would have probably been thinking about how he could easily take me out. He was pretty skinny but he had at least twenty pounds on me. Pounds made out of nothing but pure muscle.  
"You're going to be okay. Just pretend they aren't there. You can do this." I nodded my head and he let go of my shoulders. I noticed that the tribute boy from District 4 was staring at the two of us. I quickly shook it off as we were being corralled to the chariots. Jeremy climbed in first and offered me a hand up. I quickly took it, knowing I wouldn't make it up on my own.  
The two of us stood and waited while the first eight districts went. Suddenly, the chariot jerked, almost knocking me down. Jeremy quickly grabbed my arm to stabilize me. He gripped my hand but I wasn't about to let go. I was too nervous to. As the crowds became closer, Jeremy leaned in close to me.  
"Smile and wave. Get everyone to like you," he whispered through smiling teeth. I nodded my head and put on my best smile. I started waving, even though I knew I looked like a fool. As we pulled into a roundabout, a faint smell of roses and blood hit my nose. I looked around to try to find the source of the smell. "What are you looking for?"  
"Do you smell what I smell?"" I asked quietly. The chariot stopped and all the other tributes stopped waving. I put my arm down and watched as a skinny man with a face that looked like a weasel stood at a podium. This was President Morrow. Sitting behind him was a young man, not much older than I, that had a single rose in his black jacket. I guessed that was where the smell of roses is coming from.  
"Welcome and happy Hunger Games!" Morrow interrupted my train of thought. Everyone quieted down in order to hear what the President would say next. "We are very happy to have you all here in the Capital with us today. May the odds be ever in your favor!" The crowd cheered.  
The chariots started back up again and drove us to some building that looked like it was newer than the rest. I counted thirteen floors and we rode up. Galaria, Ariya, and Jeremy's stylist, Nole, all stood there waiting for us. Jeremy and I climbed out of the chariot and Galaria corralled us into the the building.  
"Can you believe it?" she started. "This whole building was built here just for you! Isn't that wonderful?" I wouldn't say if it was wonderful or not. This is the place where we get to spend our final days alive. No, I wouldn't say it was wonderful at all. I would rather be home.  
She took us to the elevator and pressed the number 9 for our floor. It was nice that we didn't have to remember anything else but out district number to be able to get to the place that we would be staying. My stomach twisted as the elevator shot up. It took us only a few seconds to reach our floor.  
When the doors opened, I couldn't believe it. We walked out onto plush carpets in a room with a whole wall made out of glass to look down on the Capital streets below. The sofa in the middle of the room was a giant "c" shape that faced a huge television screen. Off of the room was a hallway with several doors off of it. Galaria walked us to the hallway and pointed out the door that went to the dining room and our room doors. I opened the door to my room. More plush carpeting with a giant bed covered in pillows. There was a closet filled with clothes and a door to a bathroom with a shower.  
I quickly ran for the shower. I turned on the water and it was much hotter than the water in my bath back home. Thousands of buttons on a panel set for different purposes. Two for water temperature. One for water pressure. Twenty different buttons for different smelling soaps. The rest controlled different shower heads. It was most relaxing shower I have ever taken. I had washed off all of the makeup and came out of the bathroom smelling of vanilla and cinnamon. I found some pajamas that were made of silk.  
Too tired to go down to the dinning room, I crawl into bed. The mattress was soft as well as the hundreds of pillows that surrounded me. The blankets were as soft as satin and twice as warm. I quickly fell asleep, wondering what the first day of training will behold.  



	6. Chapter 6

I woke up to Galaria pounding on my door, saying how big the day was going to be. I rolled out of bed slowly and drug myself out into the hallway, still half asleep. I followed the annoying Capital accents to the dining room. The door opened, revealing a large glass table and five green chairs. There were tables all around the room filled with food. I walked over to the table, which already had a plate of eggs and bacon with a glass of orange juice waiting for me. I sat down in one of the green chairs next to Galaria. For something that looked plastic, the chair was quite comfortable.  
"I see that you didn't bother to get dressed this morning," Galaria said in her snooty accent. I looked down at the silk pajamas that I slept in. I shrugged off the comment and proceeded to eat the food on my plate.  
"Good morning!" a very chipper Jeremy said, walking into the room in his pajamas. I could see the look of disappointment on Galaria's face. I held in a laugh as I continued eating the delicious Capital food. Jeremy sat down across from me, smiling from ear to ear.  
"What are you so happy for?" I asked, still groggy from sleep.  
"Today is the start of training," he replied, already digging into his plate of food.  
"And you're happy about this?"  
"I find it easier to look on the bright side of training than to be a downer about it." I nodded, knowing he was right. We quickly finished our food and waited because Galaria had told us that she needed to go over the schedule for the next couple weeks. The two of us sat patiently, waiting for Galaria to finish.  
"Okay, we have group training every morning between now and the Games. During the afternoon, you two have personal training. You will have full reign of the training center," Galaria started going through the list. "Now, you can either choose to train together or by yourselves. You do get more time if you train together."  
"Not to mention the motivation," I commented.  
"You also have interview training after personal training." This made me raise my eyebrows in question.  
"Interviews?" I felt Jeremy's eyes jump over to Galaria, also questioning the statement.  
"You have to do interviews to get sponsors to get supplies in the games. Interview night is the night before you leave for the arena. So, you don't have to worry about that for another week." I felt my stomach turn as the thought of talking in front of cameras hit my brain. Jeremy gave me a look that basically said that I wasn't going in this alone and that I'll be okay. Galaria dismissed us so we could go get into our training uniforms.  
When I walked back into my room, there was a gray pair of pants with red stripes down each side and a shirt that matched. I put them on, noticing there was a number 9 on the left sleeve and the back. There was a pair of black training boots sitting on the ground. I quickly slipped these on. I pulled my hair back into it's usual bun that I wore back at home.  
I left my room, seeing Jeremy in the hallway as well. The two of us walked to the living room. Galaria hasn't come to get us for training yet, so the two of us sat on the couch. We sat silently for a few moments.  
"So," I broke the silence. "Do you want to train together during personal training?"  
"We would accomplish more if we work together than try to train alone," he answered.  
"It would be easier on the two of us. We get double the training and double the motivation than working on our own."  
"Do you always plan everything?"  
"I find that a good strategy comes in handy. Especially when it comes to training." Galaria walked into the room, wearing all purple today. The two of us stood and followed her to the elevator. She pressed a button with the letter "t" on it and the elevator shot downwards. In just a few seconds, the elevator stopped and opened it's doors.  
The training room was huge. Different stations from weapons to survival skills formed a giant circle. In the middle of that circle, a platform sat with a lady in the middle of it. A few tributes were there, but not many. Jeremy and I walked to the center, mesmerized by the variety of stations to choose from. The tributes from 1, 2, and 4 were already here. They were more threatening up close than they were the night before. I was by far the shortest of them all. The boys were twice my size and each of the girls had at least ten pounds on me. Jeremy seemed to fit in with them height wise, but not weight wise. Let's face it, Jeremy was a bean pole. Tall and skinny.  
As the time drew closer to begin, the more tributes drifted in. The majority of the tributes were bigger than me, minus the two twelve year olds. Out of everyone, I was probably the third smallest person there. When all the tributes had arrived, the lady in the center began talking. She named off all the stations, telling us that there were trainers at each to help us get the fullest out of each one. She advised us not to ignore the survival stations, as they could be useful to us winning the games. Then came the rules. The rules were quite simple, don't fight with the other tributes. After her speech, she sent us on our way.  
Naturally, tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4 all ran to the weapons. The rest of us seemed to disperse evenly. Jeremy and I agreed to stay away from each other during group training to try to keep tabs on the other tributes. Out of instinct, I went to the weights and stamina portion of the training room. Jeremy went off to the survival skills, hoping to pick up something he didn't know.  
The stamina building stations were rough. There was one with six platforms. You had to jump from one platform to the next as quickly as possible without getting hit by the trainers swinging foam bats at you. There was a rope section to increase your climbing skills. There also was a conveyer belt that you could run on while dodging different things getting thrown at you. I stuck with these stations for thirty minutes, improving my skills with each task and with each word of advice from the instructors.  
Next, I went to the survival skills. Most of them I knew, like the edible plants and cleaning water supply, from being with the rebellion. I quickly went over to the rope tying station to find a little comfort in something that i could do relatively well. Sitting cross legged, I picked up a piece of rope and started tying it into different traps and knots that my brothers had taught me when I was little. It was one of their favorite things to do with me since I was too little to do anything else with them. I had just finished learning how to tie a noose. I held up my rope to examine the product.  
"Nice knot, Green Eyes," a boy's voice said behind me. Now, only one person ever called me Green Eyes. It was Alder Mextel from District 4. He and I had met during the rebellion. His father was a part of it as well as mine. We used to be in the same camps and play games. He taught me how to swim when we were stationed close enough to water. I taught him about different plants from what my father and brother had taught me to keep myself alive. We were the best of friend until about four years ago.  
I turned to find the boy tribute from District 4. He was tall and had tan skin. His reddish blonde hair was cropped short to his head. The only thing that tipped me off that it was Alder was the ocean blue eyes that jumped and danced when he spoke. "Never thought I'd see you here, Alder." He laughed at his name.  
"Well, I guess the odds were as much in my favor as they were in yours." Alder sat down next to me and picked up a piece of rope. He started twisting it into a fishing net. "You recognize anyone else here?" I looked around at the other tributes.  
"Not really."  
"The District 12 boy is Darius Steel. You remember him?" I found Darius at the wrestling station. He was just as big as Alder and extremely strong by the way he was fighting the instructor. I finally got a good look at his face. There was something that looked familiar.  
"He looks familiar."  
"Well, him and four others besides us were all a part of it." Now I saw it. Not only was there Darius, Alder, and me, but both tributes from District 7, the girl tribute from 9, and the boy from 11 were all a part of the rebellion. "You know why they brought so many of us here, right?" I put my noose around my neck and pretended to choke myself. Alder chuckled at this and nodded. Both of us knew that they brought us here to kill out any hope of starting the rebellion again.  
The two of us talked our way through the rest of training, bouncing from station to station. We laughed about different things and kept tabs on the other tributes, spotting the threats. At the end, Jeremy and I caught up and went back to our floor for lunch. We knew that personal training would be soon. This would be our time to come up with a strategy for survival. 


	7. Chapter 7

Personal training looked a lot different than earlier. The room was completely free of people, which was perfect for me in order to train properly. Jeremy and I walked over to weapons portion of the room. Jeremy picked up a spear and examined it. He lifted it up over his head and threw it at a dummy, hitting it square in the chest.  
"Not bad," I said. Jeremy shrugged.  
"It's okay. I need some practice with it up close too," he critiqued. I walked over to a table filled with all different types of knives. I picked up a small one meant for throwing and threw it at a dummy, hitting it in the head. "Rebellion taught you that?"  
"Sort of self taught. They wouldn't give us kids anything but a knife to defend ourselves. I needed to learn some practical uses for it other than stabbing." Jeremy picked up another spear and started practicing with up close attacks. I picked up a sword and started attacking random dummies.  
By the time we were done training with the weapons, we had almost completely destroyed every dummy in the training center. We moved onto the weights and stamina section. The two of us sat on the benches and started lifting weights. After about twenty reps, the two of us stopped.  
"So, what's the game plan?" Jeremy asked.  
"Find water and find shelter," I told him.  
"That's it?"  
"It's the basics of survival. You find water and shelter, you're basically set through the whole thing."  
"Is the plan to stick together or are you going to go off with your new best friend?" I knew this was going to come up. Alder and I probably shouldn't have talked for as long as we did. It'll tip off the game makers about us and how we know each other through the rebellion. Of course, they probably figured that one out when we were all selected.  
"Alder? We just knew each other from the rebellion, that's all. You'd be surprised by how many of us are here." Jeremy nodded.  
"I watched him for a little bit. He seems like he would be a pretty good ally."  
"The more the merrier. With more of us in a group, it means we'll have a better chance of surviving and better chance of getting more sleep." Jeremy chuckled at this. We both knew that survival was almost impossible. Between the other tributes and the Capital, my chances are very close to none. Yet, if I can keep Jeremy alive long enough, he could make it home. He had nothing to do with the rebellion. He's just another victim of the outcome.  
"So," Jeremy snapped me out of my thoughts. "We have three people in our group. What would the max be if we add more?"  
"Four would probably be the safest. We don't want the whole arena on our side."  
"Good point. Although, I highly doubt all the tributes want to be allies. Especially the Careers."  
"The Careers?" I raised my eyebrow in question.  
"Districts 1 and 2. If you haven't noticed, their the biggest out of all of us and they paired up right away." Come to think of it, I did notice. It was obvious that they knew far ahead of us that this was going to happen. To them, it's probably another game. To us, not so much.  
The training session ended far too quickly. Yet, I was sort of glad it was. It meant that the first day was almost over. All I had to do is make sure I can survive this interview training that Galaria has in mind. I made it through dinner without any complaints of the training to come, which seemed to surprise Galaria because that's all I did during lunch.  
After dinner, Galaria and I sat in the living room. She kept talking about images and that I have to choose one for the interviews. She made me stand and turn for her. She took my hair out of its bun and made me turn again.  
"Well, you're too small to be tough and not really the sexy type," she began. "You're too grumpy to be funny. I guess we'll have to go with personality and life stories. By the way, what is your life story?" I shook my head and laughed.  
"Like I'm going to tell you," I chuckled. Galaria shot me a look that could have killed me if it were a bullet. I wasn't going to tell her. Not even if she threatened me with an inch of my life. I could take her anyway if she tried. She isn't all that big and those six inch heals aren't going to help her either.  
"Well, then what are we going to do with you?"  
"Why can't I just be myself?"  
"In case you haven't noticed, when you act like yourself, not a whole lot of people like to be around you."  
"Funny. If I recall today's training, I made an ally." Galaria sat back as if she were in shock. Apparently making allies is not what she had planned on me doing. Of course, it doesn't hurt to know the person, either. The two of us sat in silence for a few minutes. To me, those few minutes were like heaven. Finally, I had shut up the annoying Capital lady.  
"Is it my turn?" I turned to find Jeremy standing by the hallway. I stood up and motioned to the couch.  
"She's all yours," I replied to him. I quickly left the room and headed back to my room. I changed into my pajamas and crawled into bed. I had made it through the first day of training. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I sat at a table in something like a lunch room we had at school back at home. I stared at the soup in my bowl. Jeremy sat down across from me, slamming his tray down on the table. We had just made it through the first half of our group training for the day. This was the last day before we have to show what we can do to the gamemakers. Over the past week, the two of us have become quite the team. They had started putting the best tribute of each station up on the walls. So far, I have the best time in all of the speed and stamina stations. Surprisingly, Jeremy was holding the best accuracy with a spear.  
"So, last full day of training," Jeremy said, picking at the vegetables on his plate. I looked up at him. Both of us were nervous about what was to come. Of course, none of us here knew what the arena was going to bring. Knowing that I didn't know was driving me insane. A slam on the table snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked around at the table to find that Darius and Alder were sitting with us. For the past couple of days, the four of us sat together. We never talked about what we were going to do once we got in the arena. All we knew was that we had each others' backs.  
"Anyone else nervous about showing what we can do to the gamemakers?" Alder asked. I nodded my head in unison with Darius and Jeremy.  
"I'm more nervous about the interviews," I confessed. Alder laughed.  
"I think everyone is nervous about something at this point." We sat in silence for the rest of the lunch time.  
After we finished, we were corralled back into the training room one last time. This was my last chance to get any real training in without being judged by someone. I went to the survival stations and bounced around, testing my knowledge on everything. I knew that when it came down to it, the knowledge is what's going to keep me alive. The four of us avoided each other, trying to fly under the ally radar. We all knew that Districts 1 and 2 were looking for the groups to form. The groups that they would look for to destroy.  
I had twenty minutes left before training was over. I had finished all the survival training. I wanted to avoid the weapons as much as possible. I had nothing left but the stamina and speed stations. I noticed that Districts 1 and 2 were hogging up the stations, trying to beat my time. I watched them as they ridiculously stumbled through each station, making silly mistakes that were costing them time. For the rest of the time, I watched them, laughing at their competitive ignorance.  
Jeremy and I quickly caught up at the end. We rode the elevator up to our floor, talking about the tributes the whole way. We quickly named the threats. The two of us had already made a plan as to what to do if someone attacks us and have even gone as far as to one of us dying.  
As we stepped out of the elevator, Galaria quickly met us and shoved us to the living room and turned on the TV. There, playing out in front of us, was a riot in five different districts. They must have figured it out. They must have figured out that some of us were chosen because of the rebellion. They quickly showed a shot in our district of peacekeepers beating down on some of the citizens. Out of all the commotion, only two people caught my eye. It was my brother hold someone's mangled body. The more that I studied the body, the more I realized who it was.  
The screen went dark and I didn't know why. Jeremy wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He must have seen the same thing I saw. My mouth hung open. I couldn't get the words that I wanted to say to come out. Galaria stood over the two of us.  
"Why did you turn it off?"she demanded. "Those people deserve what they're getting." That was it. I quickly stood up and started screaming at the woman. I don't even know what I said. Jeremy got in between the two of us. He pushed me back to sit on the couch and wrapped his arms around me again. I felt the warm sting of tears flowing from my eyes. Galaria left the room in a rush, probably dumbfounded by what I screamed at her.  
"It's okay, Valiant. They probably didn't mean to hurt him. He'll be okay. I'm sure of it," he tried to reassure me.  
"You didn't see what I saw. You didn't see my brother's face. He's dead and I know it!" I cried. This was the second hardest time I have ever cried in front of someone. Both times happened to be in front of Jeremy. Jeremy stroked my hair, trying to get me to calm down. He would say reassuring words, trying to convince me he wasn't dead.  
"For all we know, it couldn't have been your father." After I had calmed down, the two of us went to bed. I staid up for hours, thinking about what I saw. At least I knew my brother was okay. Questions still filled my mind on whether or not that truly was my father.  
When morning came, I couldn't have been happier. I wanted something to keep my mind off of the things I saw on the television. I quickly got dressed and walked into the dining room. I sat down at my usual spot. Jeremy sat across from me. He wore a concerned look all the way through breakfast. Galaria didn't speak through the whole meal, partly because we knew what was going on and partly because I screamed at her last night. We finished quickly and headed down to the training center.  
We had to wait in the lobby. I never liked the idea of waiting. For the first time, I wish I was in District 1 or 2 that way I wouldn't have to wait. We had to stand in order of our districts, which meant that I couldn't talk to Alder or Darius. I stood behind Jeremy quietly, fiddling with my thumbs in order to stay patient. Jeremy turned around and faced me.  
"Are you okay?" he asked. I looked up into his brown eyes. He knew that I was going to be a mess from the night before. That's why he looked concerned throughout breakfast.  
"I'm fine. Doing better than last night," I responded. Jeremy took a sigh of relief.  
"Good. You don't need to stress about that. Especially right now." He was right. I can't stress about it. My life is on the line here. I can't be worrying about what's happening at home. A lady called for Jeremy. It was his turn to go in.  
"Good luck!" I wished him.  
"You too." He quickly turned and left with the lady. I turned to look at the tributes behind me. Nervous looks crossed everyone's face. I wasn't the only nervous one, by the looks of it. Darius looked at me in the eye and smiled. He was one of the last tributes to go. I felt bad for him. I surely couldn't wait as long as he could.  
It took an hour for the lady to come and get me for my turn. Whatever Jeremy did must have impressed them long enough to keep me from going in there. The lady led me down a long hallway and stopped me in front of a door.  
"Now," she began. "When you walk in, tell them your name and district number. They will tell you to begin and you show them what you can do. They will judge you on your performance and come up with a score between one and twelve. The scores will be seen on television later today. Do you understand?" I nodded my head. The door to the training room opened and I stepped inside. The room was set up differently. Instead of the giant platform in the middle, there was a table with the gamemakers sitting at it. The survival training was to their left and the weapons were to their right. No stamina or speed stations. I walked to the middle of the room and stood in front of the gamemakers.  
"Valiant Rolin, District 9," I stated. The man who sat in the middle of the table nodded his head and marked something on the paper in front of him.  
"You may begin," he said to me, not even looking up. I walked over to the weapons and picked up a sword. The dummies stood in a circle around the station. I stabbed and sliced at the dummies, knowing exactly which points on the body would disable and kill my opponents. I severed a few heads and even sliced a dummy in half at the waist. I had finished destroying them in about three minutes. I set the sword back down and started to walk to the door.  
"We didn't say you could leave," a lady at the table told me. I turned around to face them and nodded my head apologetically. The knife table stood right behind me. I turned and picked up a knife. I spun around and chucked it at the gamemaker table, slicing the flowers that sat on it. The vase on the table now had nothing but flowerless stems sticking out of it. The pillar behind them now had a knife stuck in it. I smirked at the gamemakers.  
"You may leave," the man in the middle said. I walked off. I had never felt more happy in my life. I showed a great amount of skill in only five minutes. The last move is probably what will make me or break me. Throwing the knife at the table probably wasn't the smartest choice, but it definitely gave off the impression I wanted to make. I wanted to make it known that I didn't like being there.  
I made it through lunch without even mentioning what I did for the gamemakers. Galaria eventually shoved us into the living room and turned on the television. The man who has been narrating the events since the reaping, Julius Ramus, popped up on screen. He goes through how the scoring was a reflection of how we performed all week in training and that our performances will be scored between one and twelve. Julius went through the districts starting with District 1. He named the tributes then announced their scores. As I predicted, Districts 1 and 2 got eights and nines in their scores. District 3 got nothing but fives.  
"District 4, Alder Mextel," Julius announced. I leaned in as he looked at the paper to announce the score. "Nine." I knew it. I knew that Alder would do well. He was a lot like Districts 1 and 2 in that way. Districts 5 through 8 were nothing special, mostly sixes and sevens. Now, it was our turn. My stomach turned into knots.  
"District 9, Jeremy Corr," Julius said. I gripped Jeremy's hand reassuringly. "Eight." Jeremy sighed with relief. Galaria squealed with joy. I smiled at Jeremy, still nervous about my scores. Everyone quieted down when Julius looked back down at his papers.  
"District 9, Valiant Rolin," he stated. My heart pounded out of my chest. He looked at his paper, then did a double take. "I can't believe this." My hands shook. Jeremy gripped my hand, trying to keep my from going mad. "Ten!" I sat still as everyone around me cheered. Jeremy gave me a hug. Galaria stood up and jumped up and down. My eyes were wide and I couldn't speak. By the end of the scores, I was at the top. This scared me more than anything. I would be the first target of the District 1 and 2 alliance. That was it. My death sentenced was signed.  



	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I sat quietly as my prep team whirled around me, trying to get me ready for the interview. They were raving about my score for about an hour. I got tired of people talking about my score. I knew that the gamemakers did that to me because they wanted me dead. That, or the truly don't know who I am and they think I have a chance of winning. I haven't decided which yet.  
The prep team did everything from skin treatments to hair and nails in about two hours. That had to be a new record of getting ready, especially for the people of the Capital. I was relieved when Ariya got to come in. She carried a black bag that obviously had my outfit for the evening in it. She hung it on a hook and turned to look at me.  
"You look beautiful," she commented. "Might I add a congrats to the score as well?"  
"They want me dead," I mumbled. Ariya walked over to me and took my hands in hers. She looked me in the eye.  
"You deserve the score because you were brave enough to show them exactly what you could do. That is why they gave you that score."  
"I threw a knife at them." Ariya laughed.  
"I probably would have done that too if I was in your position." She dropped my hands and turned to fetch the black bag. "And, if I could throw a knife." I giggled and smiled at Ariya. She was the one person of the Capital that I actually felt comfortable around. I'm going to miss her when I leave. She's the only one I probably will miss.  
Ariya unzipped the black bag, revealing a white dress with a sheer, light green fabric over it. Ariya helped me put on the dress. The dress fell just above my knees. The green fabric was cut to where pieces went past the white dress underneath. A sash went across my waist, giving me a little more of a shape. My shoes were simple white flats. My hair was half up with a flower pinned in to hold my hair back. Overall, I thought I looked like someone that belonged in a fairytale. It definitely didn't look like it belonged on a tribute with a death sentence.  
"You look like you belong in a fairytale," Ariya said happily. I looked at her. Her smile dropped as she saw how I felt. "Are you okay?" That was the first time anyone from the Capital has asked me that.  
"I don't want to do this. I can't do this," I sat back on the table. Ariya sat down beside me and stuck her hand on my shoulder.  
"Yes, you can. Valiant, you are brilliant. You are a brave kid that I can tell has been through so much. You keep fighting on. That's why I took an interest in you when we first met. You can't give up. Keep fighting." She was right. I had fought through so much that I had forgotten to give up. I never wanted to. I didn't want to now. I had to keep going. Especially for Dimitri and dad. I looked at her and smiled as best as I could.  
"I will." Ariya stood back up and uncovered the mirror. I looked into it, not seeing the rebel from District 9, but a girl who dressed like a fairytale, yet looked like a warrior.  
"I wanted to show that world that you are beautiful, yet deadly. You are valiant, Valiant. Show them that you live up to your name." I nodded my head, feeling the biggest smile come across my lips. Ariya led me out of the room and into a car. The car took me to a stadium where the interviews were going to be held.  
Peacekeepers led me inside and had me stand in line in order of what district I was from. I stood right behind the District 8 boy, who was dressed in a bright blue suit. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Jeremy right behind me. He was dressed in a white suit with a blue tie. He tugged on the knot as he smiled at me.  
"You look great," he whispered to me. I smiled.  
"You too," I whispered back. I played with my hair nervously. I knew I had to wait again. Luckily, there was a television so the rest of us could watch the interviews while we waited. As the interviews of the tributes before me played through, I felt a little less nervous. I got the feel of what Julius was going to ask. Hardly any questions were aimed at the tribute's family. This made me feel better.  
As the boy from District 8 was finishing his interview, I started to get nervous. The stage manager told me it was my turn to go on stage. With a little push, I was walking towards Julius. The man wasn't exactly normal looking. He had purple eyes to match his hair and suit. His makeup was a little outlandish, which was going to make this even more awkward to talk to him. Once I made it close to him, he took my hand and kissed it, which made my skin crawl. He welcomed me to sit down. I sat, smoothing my dress under me like Galaria had taught me.  
"You look fabulous, Valiant," Julius said.  
"Thank you," I said back quietly. I looked out into the crowd, trying to find someone normal to look at. The most normal person I found was Ariya, who motioned at me to smile. I gave a subtle one, which was basically all I could muster up with the constant butterflies in my stomach.  
"So, Valiant, we don't know much about you. Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?" There was a silence that swept the room. What was I suppose to tell them? That I'm a rebel. That I hate the Capital and I'm now getting punished for that? I don't think so. That would send me an automatic death in the arena. I stayed silent, trying to figure out what I could tell him. "Let's start with your family. Who's at home right now, watching you? I'm sure your mother is watching you and is so proud of you."  
"I'm sure she would be if she was here." I didn't realize what I had said until I saw the crowds reaction.  
"I'm sorry to hear that. How old were you when she died?"  
"I was only two weeks old. I never knew her." This got the crowd going. I then knew what I was going to do. I was going to play the tragedy card. The one card that I would have never played. Now that I had opened my big mouth, I knew that I had to play it.  
"How sad! It must have been so hard for the rest of your family to go through that."  
"It was. It took my father years to get over it. Just as we were putting our family back together, my oldest brother, Benji, got sick. He died in a month." This really got the crowd going. I told the rest of my tale, minus the parts about the rebellion. There was one question that I was waiting for. The one question I knew was coming at the end.  
"So, Valiant, what did you tell your brother and father when you knew you were leaving?"  
"I told them that I wasn't going to be another tragedy. I told them that I would make it home." The timer went off. The interview was over. Julius made me stand. He raised my hand in a victorious manner and announced my name. The crowd I walked off stage, I noticed a smile on Jeremy's face. It was more for reassurance for what I had did.  
Jeremy walked onto the stage as soon as I was off. Galaria stood there in front of me. Tear streaks ruined her makeup. She reached for me and gave me a hug. Her breathing told me that she had been crying.  
"I didn't know! I'm so sorry," Galaria sniffled. I patted her on the back and pulled away.  
"I should be the one that's sorry. I yelled at you when all you were trying to do this whole time was to help me," I apologized. Galaria turned her attention to the television. Jeremy was talking to the audience. By the roar of the audience, I'd say they are enjoying him. Laughter was erupting from them. That was good, considering I probably made the majority of them cry. This must have been what Galaria came up with. The joker. It fit him in the sense that he was like this back home. That was before the reaping, though. That was before he had to worry about dying.  
"So, all joking put aside, what do you want people to remember about you when your in the arena?" Julius asked. Jeremy sat silent for a few seconds.  
"What I want people to remember about me is the person that I was before the Games. The person who wasn't a killer. Yet, the person who is willing to risk his life for others. For the friends that have become so much more than that..." I couldn't listen to the rest of his answer. I walked away from the television, from Galaria, from everyone. I needed to get away. He was giving his last goodbyes to his family back at home. He has already counted his death among the twenty-three.  
I quickly found a door. I opened it and shut myself in the room it led to. I pressed my back to the door and slid down to sit. I curled my knees up to my chest and cried. It wasn't fair that Jeremy had to go through this. He was never a part of the rebellion. He and so many others here. They shouldn't be punished like this. It wasn't right.  
"You too, huh?" I stopped crying to see Alder sitting against the wall next to me. I wiped under my eyes to clear the makeup that was clearly running down my face. "I felt the same way when the girl from 6 spoke."  
"It's not right. They didn't deserve this," I spoke.  
"None of us do. We didn't do anything worthy of this punishment. All we did was fight for the chance of a better tomorrow. For freedom. The Capital is just making a show over what they do to those who dare to defy them." It wasn't fair for any of us to be here. We all knew it, deep down. I was too busy feeling sorry for Jeremy when I should have realized this.  
"You're right. We can't change this. All we have to do now is make sure that this will cause an outrage in someone and they will fight to make it stop." We heard cheering from the other side of the door. I stood up and opened the door.  
"Leaving already?"  
"It's time we showed them what we can do. I'll see you in the arena, my friend." He nodded and waved goodbye. I walked back to Galaria, told her I was sorry for leaving and that it won't happen again. I gave Jeremy a hug and told him he was great, even though I missed the last minute or so.  
We were taken back to the training center and told to go to bed, for tomorrow was the day we go to the arena. I laid there, awake, wondering what the arena would hold. Wondering if I would make it past the first day. Slowly but surely, I fell asleep, dreaming of home. 


	10. Chapter 10

Galaria stood over my bed, shaking my shoulders. "Today's the day!" she exclaimed, still shaking me. I swatted at her and sat up. She had laid out a pair of tan shorts and a brown shirt on a chair. A brown pair of boots sat by the clothes. I got out of bed and proceeded to put on the clothes. They were more comfortable than the clothes I have been wearing for the past week. The shorts fell around my knees and the boots barely made it past my ankles. Wherever the arena was, it was obviously going to be warmer.  
I marched myself down to the dining room. I sat down at my usual seat, not realizing that Jeremy wasn't there. Galaria sat down next to me.  
"Where's Jeremy?" I asked.  
"Tributes leave at different times. Jeremy left earlier," She answered. I looked at my plate that was filled with eggs and biscuits. She obviously saw my expression to respond. "Don't worry, you'll see him soon."  
I ate my meal, knowing that it could possibly be my last. Once I was finished, Galaria led me to the elevator. The elevator shot us up to the roof. When the doors opened, I saw a hovercraft waiting for me to come aboard. Peacekeepers led me to a ladder. When I grabbed it, an electrical current went through my arms. The ladder started going up into the hovercraft. Soon, I was inside the craft. I tried pulling my arms away, but the ladder stuck to me. A peacekeeper with a needle came towards me. I winced as he stuck the needle in my arm.  
The ladder let me go and I stood to me feet.  
"What was that for?" I questioned the peacekeeper. He turned and smiled at me. It wasn't really a smile, though. It was more of a grimace.  
"We need to keep track of you. I injected you with a tracking device," he told me. I rubbed my arm and nodded. I sat down on a bench and crossed my arms. A peacekeeper handed me a glass of water. Through the whole ride, I sipped on it. There were no windows to look out of, so the ride was relatively boring.  
When we landed, the peacekeepers led me out of the hovercraft. They took me down a long dark hallway to a room that said "District 9" on it. The door opened and I walked inside. The room was shiny. The walls and floors painted to look like chrome. I stood in the shiny prison for a few minutes before another door opened. Ariya walked into the room. She held a dark brown jacket and a belt.  
"Not exactly what I would have picked for you, but it will help you for where you're going," she said. Ariya smiled slightly. She held up the jacket for me to put on. I slipped my arms in and pushed the jacket up around my shoulders. It was light, yet was warm. The fabric was slick, obviously made for protecting from rain. I turned to face Ariya. She snapped the belt around my waste and pulled my hair up into two buns.  
"So, this is it," I said. "It was good to meet you."  
"What makes you think we won't see each other again?"  
"It's obvious the odds are stacked against me. I'm not going to make it out alive."  
"Valiant, I want you to listen," Ariya told me, gripping my shoulders. "The odds will always be stacked against you. That doesn't mean you should give up. Giving up let's the others win. Don't let them win." I nodded. I knew she was right. A man came over the speaker, saying that I had a minute before I had to be traveling up a tube to the arena above. I started to head for the tube. Ariya grabbed my hand, stopping me.  
"Yes?" I questioned. She held out her hand. In it was my mother's necklace. I had almost forgotten completely about it. I took it from her hand and placed it around my neck.  
"Be valiant, Valiant," she said. I hugged her and walked to the tubes. I saw a tear run down her cheek. She knew as well as I did my chances of making it. For a second, I was actually sad to leave her. The only person from the Capital that I liked I had to leave, knowing I would never see her again. I would never see my family again. I shook my head, erasing the thoughts from my mind. I couldn't think like that, not with my life on the line.  
The platform in the tube started to move upwards. My heart started pounding. Once my head poked through the opening, my eyes started looking everywhere they could. The platform locked into place. A huge metal cave like thing stood right in front of me, about twenty yards away. It held many backpacks and weapons, obviously there for us to use to survive. There were trees everywhere, creating a jungle like environment. The air felt very close, making feel hotter than what it really was. Tributes were lined up just like me in a horseshoe shape. I looked around for Jeremy. I spotted a girl who I guessed was from District 5. She stepped off her platform was instantly blown up. Twenty-three tributes left. I finally found Jeremy. He was all the way on the end to my left. I could see he was nervous.  
My attention turned to the weapons and supplies. I knew that I needed a backpack. The farther in the middle you go, the better the weapons choices there were. I focused my attention on a sword sticking out of the dirt with a black backpack. That was it. That was what I was going to grab before I leave the potential bloodbath. A man started counting down from ten. My muscles started to tense. I leaned forward, ready to launch when the man was done counting.  
"Three...Two...One," the voice said. A gong went off. That was my cue. I shot off the platform like a rocket. By the time I had made it to the first of the backpacks, the rest of the tributes were half way there. I quickly reached the sword and backpack. I scooped the backpack up and pulled the sword out the ground. I didn't have time to observe my weapon as a boy came at me with an ax he had found. I quickly blocked him and knocked him onto his butt so I could get away.  
My legs carried me to the trees. I rushed as fast as I could away from that place. Dodging trees and jumping over roots, I ran farther and farther in. By the time a root made me fall to my knees, I figured I was far enough away to be able to stop. Cannons fired. I wasn't quite sure what for but I counted the fires, in case it came as some significance later. When they stopped, I had counted twelve shots. I pushed myself up onto my feet and gathered my sword and backpack. My instincts screamed at me to find water.  
The bushes rustled behind me, yet there was no breeze. I turned to find the little girl from District 12. She stared at me with her big gray eyes, frightened. I looked at her hands. Her hands held a knife, but they were trembling so bad I doubt she could have used it if I was attacking her. I put down my sword to try to calm her down.  
"It's okay," I told her. "I'm not going to hurt you." She nodded. The girl was very small. Nothing really but skin and bones. Her straight dark hair framed her small face. Her gray eyes darted back and forth. My heart sank for her. The poor girl didn't stand a chance. Not unless she trained with Darius. He might have helped her. He knew as well as I did that we were as good as dead. The Capital had nothing against this girl.  
Suddenly, a spear came into the back of her. She collapsed, dead. I heard laughter. The same laughter that the District 2 boy, Ren, had in the Training Center. He came out of the bushes and went over to the girl. He pulled out his spear from her back. A cannon fired. That told me that the cannons were for who's dead. He looked at me. I quickly picked up my sword. I heard more people coming towards me. His comrades, no doubt. He turned to look at them. I found my moment. I ran from there as fast as I could. My first account with the group that others have called the Careers. I rushed to both find water and get away from them.  
I stopped, trying to figure out which way to go. I saw moss on a tree pointing to my left. I started running in that direction. I looked back behind me for a few seconds to see if they were following me. My body smacked into something hard. I flew back onto my back. I shook my head to clear the shock and looked at what I ran into. I saw a boy who was bigger than me. Tan skin, blue eyes, reddish blonde hair.  
"You okay, Green Eyes?"  
"Alder!" 


End file.
